Let's scour the Inter-Google for stories making news about our New York Yankees that don't involve Phil Hughes and Chien-Ming Wang.
- Alex Rodriguez got booed last night by fans at Yankee Stadium. Honestly, I have never been a big A-Rod fan, but I found that absolutely disgraceful. C'mon, people, this guy is playing his butt off for the Yankees when he is obviously not close to 100 percent physically. How many big hits has he gotten already this season, including the two-out RBI hit in the first inning last night? Yeah, he failed in a couple of opportunities later in the game, but give the guy a break. Everybody has a bad game once in a while. If you were booing, you should be ashamed of yourself.
- Sam Borden of the Journal News takes issue with all the outcry over the barrage of home runs thus far at the new Yankee Stadium.
First of all, it's presumptuous to label a park a "hitters' haven" or any other term after such a limited sample. While a park can't necessarily "get better" the way a struggling (but talented) rookie might, there are any number of factors - starting with weather, wind patterns and surrounding buildings - that may or may not affect the way a ballpark plays as its history grows. At the very least, the new Stadium deserves a full season before it's excoriated as a joke.
Beyond that, though, is this: Even if the park does turn out to be more homer-prone than its predecessor, even if it does yield more home runs than expected, there is nothing particularly wrong with that. It's not better or worse than the old Stadium. It's just different. It's just the way it is. Consider: Home runs are a part of baseball. Baseball games are played at Yankee Stadium. So home runs are hit at Yankee Stadium. Where is the crime in that? ...
Those fans who think all the home runs defies the aura of Yankee Stadium are misunderstanding what that aura really is. It's the winning, the players, the pinstripes that make the Stadium special, not how many balls go over the wall.
Frankly, I think Borden is right. I have complained about the home runs, too, but who really cares? The real problems at the Stadium are the premium seats, lack of ability to get an autograph and the obstructed bleacher views. not the home runs.
Bottom line is this. New Stadium, old Stadium ... let's just go win a 27th World Series.